MAINE PUBLIC • December 1, 2022
The White House will serve Maine lobster Thursday night, as President Biden hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for a state dinner. But the menu announcement has revived the debate over sustainability concerns with the fishery and challenges that the industry is facing. Oceana, an international conservation non-profit, questioned the choice of lobster, citing the recent decision by Marine Stewardship Council to withdraw its sustainability certification of the Maine fishery because of the risks it poses to endangered North Atlantic right whales. Gov. Janet Mills, Rep. Jared Golden, and Senator Susan Collins each tweeted that the Biden administration should recognize that fishermen are being targeted with burdensome, scientifically-questionable federal regulations.